Violet Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by Faerie of Lightwater Forest
Summary: What if Harry Potter was a girl? Some things would have changed. This is an AU fic about his er her life as a girl. NOTICE: I totally rewrote chapter one, it's a lot better now, so if you didn't like it before, then please come back to this story!
1. The Girl Who Lived

**Chapter One - The Girl Who Lived**

There was a flash of lightning as the darkness fell. The moon was obscured by clouds. It was a perfect Halloween. A perfect Halloween in Godric's Hollow for all but one family: the Potters. Lily and James Potter, and their year-old daughter, Violet, lived in a quaint little house just inside the village, and they were in grave danger tonight.

A dark, cloaked figure appeared on the corner. It moved quickly down the street, its hood throwing its face into shadow. The figure approached the Potter's house and drew a wand with a motion reminiscent to that of drawing a sword.

"_Morsmordre!_" cried the high, cold voice of the cloaked wizard. From the wand tip burst a horrible shape that formed itself in the sky, looking like a constellation in the shape of a skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth.

Lord Voldemort then cast a spell that blasted down the front door. Just inside James Potter was yelling, "Lily, take Violet and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off--"

More high, cold laughter pealed from Lord Voldemort's mouth as he entered the house. Lily Potter stumbled out of the room. James drew his wand on the Dark Lord and cried, "You won't take Violet and Lily, Voldemort! You can take me, but they'll be long gone before you can kill them, too!"

Voldemort did not care. "_Avada Kadavra!_" he cried, and a jet of green light took James Potter out of existence. Then he hurried from the body and chased the witch up the stairs. Lily threw a door open and tried to shut it, but Voldemort got in her way. She backed away from him, fear in her emerald eyes.

"Not Violet, not Violet, please not Violet!" the woman pleaded.

"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside now..." the Dark Lord said cruelly.

"Not Violet, please no, kill me instead--" Lily screamed.

Voldemort laughed again, then raised his wand once more. "_Avada Kadavra!_"

And with another jet of green light, Lily Potter, too, was taken out of existence.

* * *

The next night, an old wizard named Albus Dumbledore sat down on a wall at the end of Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey. A tabby cat sat stiffly next to him.

"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."

Dumbledore turned to smile at the cat, but it was gone; in its place sat a stern-looking woman with jet-black hair pulled back into a bun.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Dumbledore explained to McGonagall how Voldemort had tried to kill Violet Potter and failed, and that his power broke when he hit the girl with a killing curse and that it rebounded and hit him instead, a giant of a man named Rubeus Hagrid had just arrived at the wreckage of the Potters' cottage. Tears streaming down his cheeks at the site of Lily and James' lifeless bodies, it took him a moment to notice that he was not alone.

"Hello, Hagrid," said the forlorn and broken-looking Sirius Black. Having been the Potters' best friend, his handsome young face was twisted with pain and misery.

"Hullo, Sirius," Hagrid replied gruffly. He pulled out a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and blew his nose before asking, "What're yeh doin' here, Sirius?"

"I was here to check up on them... I never dreamed... how could this've happened? Oh, I was so _stupid_!" Sirius looked angry and morose at the same time.

"Now, now," Hagrid said, trying to stifle another flow of tears. "It's not yer fault, Sirius, it's not yer fault."

But Sirius just stared at Hagrid with wide eyes, as if he knew not what to say. Then he replied quite flatly, "You have no idea, Hagrid."

Hagrid ignored the cryptic tone, and instead gave a great sniff and said simply, "Well, I'm here to collect li'l Violet Potter, now. Dumbledore's orders."

Black's eyes went wide again. "Hagrid, no, wait... I'm her godfather. Leave her with me!"

"Sorry, Sirius, but Dumbledore has his orders."

"Hagrid, trust me, forget Dumbledore, and give me my goddaughter!"

"Sorry, but I can', Sirius! Dumbledore's orders!"

Sirius, quite angry now, opened his mouth to retaliate, but then his face seemed to close in on him as he apparently collapsed from the inside. "Very well, Hagrid. How about you take her on my motorcycle? I won't be needing it anymore."

"Thank you kindly, Sirius," Hagrid replied, and, tucking Violet into a snug blanket and into the crook of his arm, Hagrid mounted the giant motorcycle, started it up, and flew away into the night sky.

* * *

When Hagrid arrived at Privet Drive, he, McGonagall, and Dumbledore all looked quite forlorn as they laid little Violet Potter on the Dursleys' doorstep. Then they departed, after saying their final good-byes.

When Dumbledore reached the corner, he stopped and pulled out a little silver lighter- a Deluminator, his own invention. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their streetlamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.

"Good luck, Violet," he murmured. Then he turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.

The next morning, Petunia Dursley, a thin, blonde, stuck-up woman and, unfortunately, Violet's aunt, opened the front door to collect the milk bottles. She stared in shock at the bundle of blankets on her doorstep, with a little infant with jet-black hair lying asleep inside.

* * *

"VERNON!" Petunia shrieked.

Her husband came running (or rather, walking as fast as he could; Vernon Dursley was quite fat) and gasped, "What is it, Petunia, dear?"

Petunia pointed wordlessly at the bundle of blankets on the stoop. Vernon stared at it, his mouth slightly open. It took another moment for the couple to notice the letter tucked underneath their niece's tiny hand.

Petunia knelt down and took the letter from Violet. The envelope was made of heavy yellow parchment, and was addressed to the Dursleys in very elegant handwriting.

* * *

The letter that Dumbledore had left for the Dursleys had explained that Violet was a witch, and that she had been orphaned by the Dark Lord Voldemort. Lily and James Potter were dead, and Violet had no remaining living relatives, except for the Dursleys. Vernon and Petunia were to raise their niece and care for her as if she was their own child…

Unfortunately, Petunia disliked her sister, Lily. She felt nothing but bitterness toward her deceased sibling, as she had no desire to care for Lily's daughter and "treat her as her own"… And this meant poor Violet had a difficult decade coming.

A/N: Okay, I _completely_ rewrote this chapter...again. I still used a couple of quotes from Prisoner of Azkaban and Sorcerer's Stone... I'm thinking I'm going to rewrite the other five chapters as well, before I continue this story... So, yeah, 'Violet' should get a lot better... I appreciate all reviews, of course, positive and negative. Some people said that they like this story, others said it's plagiarism, too much like J.K. Rowling's story, etc. And I took those to heart, which is why I'm rewriting everything. ...That's it...Please review!


	2. The Vanishing Glass

**Chapter Two - The Vanishing Glass**

_A motorcycle with a giant astride it rose into the night sky, silhouetted in the moonlight—_

"Up! Get up! Now!"

Violet Potter groaned as she rolled over and opened her green eyes. Her Aunt Petunia rapped on the door again. "Are you up yet?"

Violet sat up and blew her fringe out of her eyes. "Sort of…"

"Well, get a move on!" Aunt Petunia screeched. "You have to look after the bacon, and you had better not let it burn! I want everything to be perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Violet groaned.

"What did you say?" Aunt Petunia snapped through the door.

"Nothing, nothing..."

It was Dudley's birthday... Hm. How could she have forgotten? Oh, well. What can you do? Violet slid onto the floor and peered under her bed to locate a pair of socks. She sighed as she pulled a spider off one of them and then pulled them on. There were always spiders crawling around her cupboard under the stairs.

She pulled on a pair of old jeans and a jumper. Both articles of clothing were too large for her, and hung very loosely on her thin frame. She slinked into the kitchen and eyed the table, which was full of gifts for 'Duddy's' birthday. Violet sighed. It looked as though her cousin and gotten everything that he wanted, the stupid, spoilt pig.

Violet began turning over the bacon, a curtain of black hair obscuring her face. She grimaced as Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen and barked, "Can't you run a brush through that mess?"

Uncle Vernon hated Violet's hair; it was rather lank, no matter what she did to it. It seemed it just grew that way, but Violet didn't mind; she liked how her lank locks could hide her facial expressions, which allowed her to make faces at the Dursleys without their noticing.

Violet was frying eggs when Aunt Petunia returned to the kitchen with Dudley in tow. Thanks to her hair, Violet's smirk went unnoticed. She had always thought Dudley looked rather like a pig in a wig.

Violet began putting the eggs and bacon on plates while Dudley counted his presents. Violet counted the strips of bacon and made sure that she got more than the Dursleys. With a wicked grin that nobody noticed (Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were too absorbed by their son; he had just realized he had gotten two less presents than he had last year, and was preparing to throw a fit), Violet placed the plates on the overloaded table and proceeded to scarf her meal down as fast as she possibly could (Dudley had been known to overturn furniture during his tantrums).

Just after Aunt Petunia assured her son that she and Uncle Vernon would buy him two more presents later in the day, the telephone rang. Petunia hurried out of the room to answer it.

Violet had just cleaned her plate. "May I have some more eggs?" she asked Uncle Vernon sweetly.

He glowered at her.

"Perhaps more bacon, then?" she tried again, appearing just as sweet and innocent.

"You're lucky we let you eat anything at all!" Uncle Vernon roared.

Violet shrugged. "All right, then."

Uncle Vernon and Violet sat and watched Dudley open some of his presents (a television, a VCR, a wristwatch, some video games, and a racing bike, although why fat, lazy Dudley would want a racing bike, Violet would never know). Aunt Petunia hurried back into the room, looking angry and worried.

"Mrs. Figg broke her leg. She can't take her." She was speaking of Violet, of course.

Violet was elated. For the first time, she wouldn't have to go stay at batty old Mrs. Figg's place for the day, which she had always had to do in the past on Dudley's birthday. Perhaps she would be allowed to stay home now, alone. She excitedly began mentally listing all of the things she wanted to do: watch whatever she wanted on television, mess around on Dudley's computer, play some video games….

The Dursleys tried futilely to come up with someone else who would want to take Violet for the day. Meanwhile, Dudley began to cry— or pretend to, anyway. Dudley hadn't actually cried for years, but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, he would get anything he desired.

"I could just stay here," Violet suggested hopefully.

"Absolutely not," Aunt Petunia snapped. "We don't know what sort of mischief you'd get into here by yourself, but you'd certainly find something!"

"Actually, as you apparently don't seem to realize, I'm not very mischievous…" Violet began coolly, but then she realized that the Dursleys weren't even listening to her.

"I suppose we could take her to the zoo... and leave her in the car..." Aunt Petunia suggested.

"That car's new. She's not sitting in it alone..." Uncle Vernon replied gruffly.

"I... don't... want... her... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled, pretending to sob. "She always sp-spoils everything!"

"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry. Mummy won't let her spoil your special day!" Aunt Petunia cried, flinging her arms around her son.

Dudley shot Violet a dirty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.

Violet raised an eyebrow at Dudley slightly, and then gave him a small smile, which wiped the nasty grin off his piggy face. Then she glared at him haughtily and flicked her tongue out, her emerald eyes full of glee.

"Oh, good Lord, they're here!" Aunt Petunia said frantically. A moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Dudley ceased to pretend crying at once.

Half an hour later, the Dursleys having been unable to think of anything better to do with her, Violet was on her way to the zoo for the first time in her life. Before they'd left, however, Uncle Vernon had taken Violet aside and warned her not to do any 'funny business'. Now they were on a rather boring car ride spent with Uncle Vernon complaining about motorcycles.

At the entrance to the zoo, the Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers some ice cream cones. They began to hurry Violet away, but the smiling woman in the van asked her what she wanted before they could go more than a few steps. The Dursleys always cared about what people thought of them, of course, so they bought Violet a lemon ice pop so as not to make it obvious that Violet wasn't treated like an equal in their family.

Violet had the best morning she'd had in a long time. The animals were interesting, although Dudley and Piers were bored with them by lunchtime.

At lunch they ate in the zoo restaurant. Dudley ordered a knickerbocker glory.

"It doesn't have enough ice cream on top!" he whined.

"I'll buy you another one, son," Uncle Vernon told him gruffly. Satisfied, Dudley pushed the first one aside.

"That's a lot of ice cream to go to waste…" Aunt Petunia said. The Dursleys offered it to Piers to finish, but he didn't want it.

"I'd eat it," Violet said wistfully.

"Nonsense," Vernon said, "we'll just throw it in the trash."

"Well, alright," Violet said with a shrug. "But that's quite a waste of five pounds…."

Uncle Vernon glared at her, but he was cheap enough to agree.

"Fine, eat it, girl," he snarled, and shoved the dish of ice cream at her. Violet ate it quite happily, thinking this day was just getting better and better.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. There were lizards crawling all around behind the glass, and Violet thought it was very cool. She especially found the snakes attractive. However, she thought it odd that whenever she walked by a snake, it would lift its head and stare at her.

Dudley and Piers wanted to see poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can, but right now it was fast asleep.

Dudley waited for the serpent to move, but when it wouldn't, he got incredibly whiney.

"Make it move," he wined to Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the serpent wouldn't budge.

"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass with his knuckles, but the snake still refused to awaken.

"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

Violet, who was also interested in seeing the enormous serpent, moved in front of the glass. She looked intently at the snake, and felt rather surprised for a moment when the snake suddenly moved. It had been so immobile for Uncle Vernon and Dudley that Violet had almost questioned if it was even alive. Slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Violet's, and _it winked._

Violet stared. She couldn't believe it; she had always thought that snakes didn't have eyelids, so the fact that it even could wink at her was quite astonishing.

She looked around to see if anyone was watching. When she was sure that nobody was, she returned her gaze to the snake and winked back at it.

The snake jerked its head toward Dudley and Uncle Vernon, and then raised its eyes to the ceiling.

"I know," Violet murmured. "It must be really annoying. You probably get that all the time."

The snake nodded.

"Where are you from, anyway?" Violet asked.

The snake jabbed its tail at a sign next to the glass.

Boa Constrictor, Brazil.

"Was it nice there?"

The snake jabbed at the sign again, and this time Violet read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see. You've never been to Brazil."

The snake shook its head just as Piers screamed, "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T _BELIEVE_ WHAT IT'S DOING!"

Dudley hurried over, saying, "Out of the way, you," to Violet as he pushed her out of the way. She fell hard to the floor, having been taken by surprise. She lay there as Dudley and Piers leaned excitedly against the glass. She stared at their eager backs for a second, and then narrowed her eyes. She wanted something to happen to them, she wanted them to pay for being so mean to her all the time….

Suddenly the glass on the front of the boa constrictor's tank vanished. The snake uncoiled itself and began slithering out onto the floor. People began screaming and running away.

As the snake slid past her, Violet heard a hissing voice say, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amiga."

The keeper of the reptile house was in shock, along with everyone else. The zoo director actually even made Aunt Petunia a cup of tea while he apologized over and over. And as for Piers and Dudley, well... as far as Violet had seen, all the boa constrictor had done was snap playfully at their heels, but by the time they were all back in the car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But the worst thing of all happened when Piers finally calmed down and said, "Violet was talking to it, weren't you, Violet?"

Uncle Vernon was too angry to speak. After Piers was safely out of the house he started on Violet and barely managed to tell her, "Go-- cupboard-- stay-- no meals," before he collapsed into a chair.

Violet lay in her cupboard later, wishing she had a watch or something so that she could know what time it was. She couldn't sneak into the kitchen for food until she was sure the Dursleys were asleep now. She waited and listened and finally heard footsteps clomping upstairs but not coming back down. Violet wasn't sure how much longer she waited, but finally she snuck out of her cupboard and tiptoed into the kitchen where she found some left over birthday cake and some old fruit. It wasn't much of a meal, but it would satisfy her hunger.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this story in a while. As you can tell from my profile, I'm an avid video game player. I was busy playing video games and watching Anime, and that's why I haven't updated. Good news, though: I beat Kingdom Hearts the day before this chapter was posted, on **August 03, 2006**. Also, thank you to those people that put this story under their favourites and on their alerts. And reviews would be very much appreciated!


	3. The Keeper of the Keys

**Chapter Three - The Keeper of the Keys**

Violet scratched another tally mark on the wall above her bed. She stared at the marks for a second, counting them, the hairpin she had used to make them now thoughtfully between her teeth.

She had been locked in her cupboard for forty-nine days. She was only allowed out for meals and for bathroom breaks.

When she was originally confined, the door had been left unlocked, but after a week of sneaking out at night to snitch food from the kitchen, Aunt Petunia began to notice the absence of random food items. At first the Dursleys had assumed that Dudley had eaten the missing food, but Uncle Vernon, ever untrusting of Violet, stayed up one night to spy on the refrigerator. Violet, completely unaware that her uncle was waiting for her to sneak out, crept into the kitchen in the dark, and was caught. Uncle Vernon then locked her in her cupboard, and the door was only unlocked three times a day.

She was given little food at each meal, she was only allowed to go to the lavatory when she was already out of her cupboard, and she was only allowed to bathe once a week. (The Dursleys probably wouldn't have allowed her to bathe at all, except then she would eventually begin to smell.)

The hairpin between Violet's teeth that had been used to carve forty-nine marks fell from her teeth as her door rattled. Someone was unlocking it.

"Punishment's over," Uncle Vernon said gruffly.

Violet gasped, then grinned and bounded out of the cupboard; it wouldn't be locked tonight.

* * *

She'd been trapped in her cupboard so long, by the time she was let out of it the school year had ended and it was summer holiday. At the moment, she was standing in the kitchen wrinkling her nose over a metal tub in the sink that appeared to be full of dirty rags swimming in grey water.

"What's this?" she asked Aunt Petunia.

"Your new school uniform," her aunt replied.

Violet looked back into the bowl. "Oh." She stared for a second. "It looks huge. I guess I didn't realize Stonewall's uniform was an elephant suit..."

"Don't be stupid, I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."

Violet seriously doubted this. Anger flashed in her eyes as she snapped, "That won't work! I'm a girl! Don't you see, I _can't_ wear _boy's_ clothes, I'll be a laughingstock!" Violet knew immediately that she'd gone too far. Aunt Petunia slapped her across the face.

"Never, _never_ speak to me that way, girl, what will it take to make you understand? It doesn't matter, nobody likes you anyway! You'll always be a freak!"

Violet stared. Calling her a freak was a bit harsh, even for Aunt Petunia...

Just then, Uncle Vernon and Dudley entered the room, their noses wrinkled from the smell of the dye. Violet's cheek stung from Aunt Petunia hitting her. Uncle Vernon sat down at the table and opened his newspaper as usual. Then they heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

Uncle Vernon ordered Dudley to get the mail, but he refused, insisting that Violet should get it. Violet retaliated.

"Poke her, Dudley," Uncle Vernon said in response to Violet's retaliation. He didn't even look up from his newspaper.

Violet hurried out of the room before Dudley could 'poke' her (his 'pokes' were more like punches) and went to get the mail. On the doormat lay a postcard from Marge, Uncle Vernon's sister, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, what appeared to be a bill, and-- no way, it couldn't be-- _a letter for Violet?_

She picked up the letter and stared at it, her heart pounding. No one had ever written to her. Who would? She had no friends, no other relatives, nobody to correspond with. Yet here was a letter addressed:

_Miss V. Potter_

_The Cupboard under the Stairs_

_4 Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

The envelope was made of yellowish parchment, and it was thick and heavy. The address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.

She glanced back at the kitchen.

"Hurry up! What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" Uncle Vernon called.

She raised an eyebrow, started toward the kitchen, then stopped, realizing that the Dursleys never let her have anything, so why would they let her keep her letter? She slipped the parchment envelope inside her pocket (the pockets were large since her rather baggy jeans had once belonged to Dudley) and entered the kitchen and threw the other pieces of mail at Uncle Vernon.

* * *

Later that night Violet opened her letter in her cupboard with trembling hands. There wasn't much light, but it wasn't too dark to make out the writing:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Miss Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

Violet stared. What was this? Was this some kind of joke? How stupid. Clearly the Dursleys played a prank on her. Wait... the Dursleys wouldn't play a prank! None of them had a sense of humor, and they disapproved of imagination! But then... what was this letter?

Violet noticed suddenly that this letter wasn't the only page. Pulling out another scrap of parchment, she read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

At this, Violet was unable to believe what she was reading. She was about to stuff the parchment back into the envelope and throw it aside, but decided she was still curious about what it said, even if it was a hoax, so she kept reading, and read a list of course books, along with a list telling her she needed a wand, a cauldron, a set of glass or crystal phials, a telescope, and a set of brass scales. It also said:

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Violet's heart leapt for one glorious moment: SHE WAS GOING TO LEARN MAGIC AND LEAVE THE DURSLEYS! ...But where was she supposed to get all this stuff? Who was she kidding... apparently the letter was telling her she was a witch, but magic couldn't possibly be real, and her first instinct had been that this was a hoax, and if she knew anything, it was that her original instincts were almost always correct.

She sighed, and stuffed the letter and school supply list back into the yellow parchment envelope. Before she closed her eyes to go to sleep, however, she couldn't help but wonder what it meant when it said, "We await your owl", and couldn't help but notice that the owl had to be sent by her eleventh birthday...

* * *

That morning during breakfast, Violet sat eating quietly while Aunt Petunia gossiped about the neighbours. Uncle Vernon was reading the newspaper. Dudley was complaining that there wasn't a television in the kitchen. Violet couldn't get her mind off of the Hogwarts letter. She glanced up when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Aunt Petunia said, and hurried out of the kitchen. Violet listened dully to her aunt's footsteps and then voices as she opened the door. She returned a moment later looking furious and shot a terrible look at Violet. Violet, not seeing how she could have possibly done anything wrong, looked away, her brow slightly furrowed.

The doorbell rang again, and this time it was immediately followed by a pounding on the door that seemed to shake the whole house. Violet, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley looked toward the living room in astonishment. Aunt Petunia only seemed to look angrier. She rounded on Violet.

"Did you, by any chance, get any letters that you didn't show us when the mail came yesterday?"

Violet's heart skipped a beat.

"No-- okay, yeah, I did get a letter... from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The Dursleys' jaws dropped. They were clearly dumbstruck as the front door was thrown off its hinges. Uncle Vernon jumped to his feet, and he and the other Dursleys and Violet hurried into the living room where Uncle Vernon, Dudley, and Violet were all struck dumb again by the appearance of a giant, a man twice the height of any normal man, and at least five times as wide.

"I told you to go away!" Aunt Petunia snarled fiercely.

The giant took one look at the Dursleys, then focused his gaze on Violet. She could tell he gazed at her forehead, at the lightning-bolt shaped scar, if only for a moment before meeting her shockingly green eyes. Violet swallowed, unable to speak.

"Ah, Violet, I haven't seen yeh since yeh was a little baby!" the giant said gruffly, his black eyes glittering in a very friendly way.

Violet recovered enough to ask, "Who are you?"

The giant chuckled. "Oh, righ', haven't introduced meself, have I? I'm Rubeus Hagrid. You can call me Hagrid, everyone does. I'm the Keeper of the Keys and grounds at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Violet said softly. "So-- so this Hogwarts place-- this school-- it-- it's _real_?"

Hagrid gave her an odd look, but chuckled again, though rather uncertainly and said, "Yeah, yeah, o' course it's real! Where else could yer parents have learned it all?"

Violet cocked her head. "All what?"

Hagrid was shocked.

"I'm sorry," Violet said quickly.

"SORRY? SORRY! IT'S THEM AS SHOULD BE SORRY!" Hagrid roared, and drew a pink umbrella from inside his moleskin overcoat and pointed it at the Dursleys. "DURSLEY!" he roared at Uncle Vernon, "ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THIS GIRL KNOWS NOTHING OF OUR WORLD?"

Violet was quite alarmed, then thought for a moment. She took a step toward Hagrid then and said firmly, "Now, really, that's going a bit too far! I do know _some_ things, after all. I'm actually rather good at maths, believe it or not, and I happen to get fairly pleasing marks in all of my subjects!"

Hagrid turned and stared at her for a second, then said gruffly, "No, no, I mean you don't know anything abou' our world. Yeh know, _your_ world, _my_ world, _yer parents world_--"

"You mean..." Violet thought again, then asked quietly, "Were my parents... a witch and a wizard? I'm a witch, right? That's why I got that letter?"

Hagrid beamed down at Violet and said happily, "Tha's right, Violet! An' here I thought I'd have to tell yeh everything! Well, let's get a move on, then! Violet, fetch yer letter. We're goin' to get yer school supplies."

Violet smiled, nodded, then ran to her cupboard to fetch her letter. She returned a moment later to give the Dursleys an evil look before she and Hagrid went out the door.

A/N: Yeah, I finally got this chapter up. Sorry it took so dang long, but I kind of got writer's block. I know this chapter could be better, and frankly, it felt a bit awkward for me to write, but I'm sure the next chapter will be better. Also, I've decided to make a sort of schedule with my updates, and have decided that I'm going to try to update this story at least once a week. Sadly, though, school starts soon, and high school students, as I'm sure many of you know, get a lot of homework, which means that I might not have much time to do more than research for homework purposes on the internet for awhile. It's even tougher because I'm in marching band, and will most definitely begin suffering from major lack of sleep...again...sigh Oh, well. I'm still going to try my very best to update this story at least once a week. Please R&R!


	4. Diagon Alley

**Chapter Four - Diagon Alley**

"Are you sure we can find all this in London?" Violet asked, rereading the list of school supplies.

"O' course ya can, if ya know where to look!" Hagrid replied cheerily. Violet raised her eyebrows at him. "Well, now, don' look at me tha' way, Violet, I know what I'm doin'!"

"I've never been to London before, but I'm certain if I had I wouldn't have seen any shops that sell magic wands! In fact, looking around now, I realize that I'm right! There aren't any magic shops at all around here, Hagrid, so what are you playing at?"

"Easy, there, Vi, easy--"

"_Please_ don't call me _Vi_, Hagrid, it's _Violet_, six letters, not two."

"All righ', all righ', I'm sorry, Vi- er- Violet, I didn't mean to get you excited!"

Violet didn't reply. She was very annoyed with Hagrid now; he'd led her all the way to London, a city which Violet had always wished to see, having never been out of Surrey, but things were starting to get a bit suspicious. Violet's temper ran high as she and Hagrid made no progress, and Violet couldn't help but allow her original suspicions that this was all just an elaborate hoax come back to life.

The pair turned onto Charing Cross Road, and Violet's gaze swept around the corner. It took her a moment to really take in the pub that was before her. It was called the Leaky Cauldron, and Violet couldn't help but notice that she and Hagrid were apparently the only ones who could see it.

"Here we are," Hagrid said.

Violet was speechless for a moment before gasping, "I'm sorry I doubted you, Hagrid, and I'm sorry I was such a brat a moment ago."

Hagrid chuckled. "Don' worry, Violet, it don' bother me..." He started to cross the road, with Violet on his heels.

When they stepped into the Leaky Cauldron, Violet saw that the pub was dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner drinking sherry, and a little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. Violet noticed that everyone seemed to know Hagrid. The low buzz of chatter stopped as they walked in, and people smiled and waved at Hagrid.

"The usual, Hagrid?" asked the bartender, reaching for a glass.

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," Hagrid said, indicating Violet.

"Good Lord," said Tom the bartender, peering at Violet, "bless my soul, Violet Potter... what an honour."

He hurried out from behind the bar and seized Violet's hand.

"Welcome back, Miss Potter, welcome back!"

Violet didn't know what to say. She wasn't used to everyone staring at her, so she was somewhat uncomfortable. But after a moment of ringing silence where everyone in the place stared at her, people started jumping up out of their seats and shaking Violet's hands. Violet didn't quite know how to react to this, and was eager for this moment in the spotlight to be over.

* * *

After Hagrid and Violet finally got out of the Leaky Cauldron, they went behind the pub to where there was simply a brick wall and a waste bin.

Violet looked around. "Um, Hagrid? Why are we back here?"

Hagrid chuckled and replied, "We're here to enter Diagon Alley!"

"Diagon Alley?"

"Sure! It's where all the witches an' wizards buy their school things." With that, Hagrid drew a pink umbrella from his overcoat, tapped a brick on the wall, and stood back as a little peephole appeared. Then the hole grew bigger until an archway formed revealing on the other side a bustling street full of colourfully-dressed people. Many people were dressed in strange looking robes. Violet wasn't so sure if she wanted to dress that way, and remembered that the supply list had said that the school robes were supposed to be black. That was a relief.

Suddenly, Violet remembered another bothersome thing.

"Um, Hagrid?"

"Yeah, Vi? Er, sorry- Violet?"

"I, uh, I don't have any money. And there's no way the Dursleys will pay for me to go to school."

Hagrid chuckled. "Ya think yer parents didn' leave yeh anythin'?"

Violet blinked. "Well, I've never thought about that," she said truthfully. Then she became excited. "They left me money, then? Were they rich?"

Hagrid chuckled and replied, "They weren' rich, no. But they were pretty well-off. O' course they left you their money! It's all in their vault at Gringotts, the wizard bank!"

"There are wizard banks?" Violet asked.

"Gringotts is the only one," said Hagrid. He smiled and motioned for Violet to follow him, so the pair headed down the street.

Violet couldn't keep her head from snapping all about as she tried to get a good look at all the amazing things in Diagon Alley. What really caught her attention was a shop with a few younger children standing outside it admiring a broomstick in the window. Somehow Violet found herself believing the children when they said that it could really fly.

Finally Violet and Hagrid got to the end of the street and gazed up at the enormous building that was Gringotts.

"Here we are," said Hagrid happily. Violet merely nodded.

They started up the steps and at the top were greeted by a couple of short, odd looking creatures.

"What are they?" Violet whispered inquiringly to Hagrid.

"Goblins," Hagrid replied.

The goblins bowed them through the gates and into the bank where they beheld many more goblins bustling about and sitting counting money. Hagrid approached one goblin at the counter, and Violet wandered off to the side to gaze at all the marble in the building. She didn't hear nor care what Hagrid was saying to the goblin.

Violet's attention was attracted when a wizarding family entered the enormous room. A tall wizard with grey eyes, blonde hair, and a pointed nose, dressed in what appeared to be expensive robes moved quickly toward a goblin at the counter. On his arm was a blue-eyed woman with long blonde hair who must be his wife. She might have been pretty if it weren't for the fact that her nose was stuck in the air like she smelled something terrible. A young boy trailed behind the couple, undoubtedly their son, with grey eyes, slick white blonde hair, and a pointed face quite like his father.

Violet stared at the boy. He looked like he was about her age. He had a sour expression on his face. His parents didn't seem to be paying the least bit of attention to him. He turned his head then and his eyes met Violet's. His expression changed slightly, adding a hint of mild surprise, or perhaps it was interest. He and Violet stared at each other for a moment, heat creeping up Violet's cheeks. It was embarrassing to be caught staring. The boy glanced at his parents' backs, then returned his gaze to Violet and began walking toward her.

"Hello," he said haughtily, his facial features rearranged now so that he appeared spoilt and confident. "My name is Draco Malfoy. Are you attending Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," Violet said, feeling a bit stupid for not having anything else to say.

"Well, that's good," said Draco, eyeing Violet as if he were trying to decide if she was worth talking to or not. "I'd prefer not to speak to a foreigner."

"Mm," was Violet's only reply.

"I hate the fact that first years aren't allowed to have their own broomsticks. That's such a ridiculous rule," Draco went on. "I might try to smuggle mine in anyway. I enjoy playing Quidditch, and I'm actually quite good at it. Do you play?"

"No," said Violet, wondering what in the world Quidditch was.

"Draco," a voice called suddenly, and Draco and Violet turned to see the woman facing them. "Draco," she said again, "come here!"

"That's my mother," Draco muttered, and headed off toward her, leaving Violet standing there watching.

Draco's father turned around as well and glared at his wife. "Narcissa, you were supposed to keep an eye on your son! He's your responsibility!"

"I was, Lucius!" Narcissa snapped, glaring at her husband. "I only took my eyes off of him for a second! And he's _our_ son, Lucius!"

The couple bickered as they walked away, their son trailing behind them.

"Violet!" Hagrid called. Violet turned and hurried over to him. "Violet, don'-"

"What's Quidditch?" Violet interrupted.

Hagrid blinked, and then replied, "It's a sport, played on broomsticks. There are four balls: the quaffle, the snitch, and the two bludgers. It's kind of like soccer in the Muggle world."

Violet cocked her head. "Muggle world?"

Hagrid sighed. "I forge' yeh weren't brought up in our world… A Muggle is a non-magic person, like the Dursleys."

"Interesting," said Violet, as a goblin named Griphook led them to a cart on tracks in a dark passage. Violet, expecting more marble, was mildly surprised.

* * *

The ride down to Violet's vault was quite an exciting one. Hagrid, however, seemed ready to vomit. The goblin Griphook didn't seem to care.

"Key, please," he said when they arrived at Violet's vault, and Hagrid gave him a key which he used to unlock the door. Violet gasped. Inside were mountains of gold, silver, and bronze coins.

"All this belongs to me?" Violet asked quietly.

"Yeah, tha's righ'," replied Hagrid, and he helped her scoop some of the coins into a moneybag. As they filled the bag, Hagrid explained that the gold coins were called galleons, the silver coins were sickles, and the bronze ones were knuts.

Afterward they took another cart ride to vault seven hundred and thirteen, out of which Hagrid took a grubby little package. This he called "Hogwarts business", and wouldn't tell Violet what it was.

* * *

After heading back out into Diagon Alley, Hagrid and Violet went shopping. They bought a cauldron, new robes, and everything else on the list, except for a wand.

"All that's left is a wand," Hagrid said, consulting the school supply list. "There's only one place to go to get a wand, an' that's Ollivander's."

So Hagrid led Violet to an old looking shop with a sign over the door that read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A bell tinkled as they stepped inside. It was small, and there was only one spindly chair. Hagrid sat on it to wait. Violet shuffled her feet in the dust on the floor and started when a voice said, "Good afternoon."

An old man stood before them, staring at them with wide, pale eyes that shone like moons.

"Hello, sir," Violet said politely.

She moved forward and offered her hand, but Ollivander did not shake it. He merely stated, "I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Violet Potter."

He looked at her closely, then continued, "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it- it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander came so close to Violet that they were almost nose to nose. Violet suddenly noticed that he was staring at her forehead, where her lightning bolt scar was visible. Violet shook her head so her bangs fell over the odd mark, concealing it. She wasn't comfortable with Ollivander staring at it.

* * *

After measuring almost every part of Violet's body with a charmed tape measurer, and then handing her two dozen wands to try before snatching them away again, Ollivander disappeared into the back of the shop once more and came out carrying an old box.

"Try this one," he chided, removing the lid from the box and proffering the wand. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Give it a wave, Miss Potter!" So Violet gave it a wave and to her surprise a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

"Oh, bravo!" cried Mr. Ollivander. "Yes indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious."

"...What's curious?" asked Violet.

Mr. Ollivander fixed Violet with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I ever sold, Miss Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather-- just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother- why, its brother gave you that scar."

Violet swallowed.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Miss Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things-- terrible, yes, but great."

Violet shivered. She'd actually kind of liked Ollivander until this moment. She wondered if he had somewhat lost his marbles.

* * *

After paying ten galleons for her wand, Violet left Ollivander's with Hagrid.

"Why do people stare at my scar?" Violet asked, pointing at her forehead. "All the people in the Leaky Cauldron, and then

Mr. Ollivander…."

"Why, tha's yer trademark, Violet!" Hagrid replied gruffly. "Yer famous for havin' that scar!"

Violet blinked. "I'm famous?" That's why everyone at the Leaky Cauldron--

"Yeah," said Hagrid, interrupting her thoughts, "tha's where You-Know-Who—"

Hagrid was interrupted as a little red-haired girl ran between Violet and him, yelling, "I want a cauldron, too! Why can't I have a cauldron and go to Hogwarts?"

"Because you're too young, Ginny!" cried a stout woman who could only be her mother. "Pardon me," the woman said as

she moved passed Hagrid and Violet to follow her daughter.

Violet stared after her for a moment. "Are they from a wizarding family?" she asked.

Hagrid nodded. "The girl mus' have an older sibling goin' to Hogwarts- yeh'll probably meet 'em!"

Hagrid then took her to Eeylops' Owl Emporium to buy her a snowy owl for her birthday present. Violet couldn't thank him enough.

After that they headed back out into the Muggle world and took a train back to Surrey.

"Here's yer ticket fer the Hogwarts Express. Remember that term begins on September first. If yeh have any trouble with the Muggles, just send me yer owl. She'll know where to find me. See yeh soon, Violet."

And Hagrid got off the train, leaving Violet there to make her own way home. She sighed and sat back in her seat. She glanced out the window once to see if Hagrid was still out there, but he had gone.

A/N: Yeah, I finally updated! Woohoo! Yeah, massive writer's block while writing this chapter... hope it doesn't show too much. The Ollivander quotes were from Ch. 5 of Sorcerer's Stone. What'd you think of the different setting for meeting Draco and for introducing his parents so soon? And the early appearance of Ginny and Mrs. Weasley? Please tell me in a review!


	5. Platform Nine and Three Quarters

**Chapter Five – The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters**

Violet was ecstatic when she got back to Privet Drive, which was a state that she was rarely in, and something that the Dursleys really didn't approve of. However, as she was quite delighted to see, though they greatly disapproved of her abnormality and happiness, the Dursleys were frightened of her, now that she knew she was a witch.

Violet's first order of business on returning to Privet Drive was to draw her new wand threatening and point it at the Dursleys, insisting that she receive better treatment from now on. Delightfully, even though Violet didn't know any spells yet, a few golden sparks fell from her wand when she squeezed it. Although the sparks were completely harmless, they frightened Dudley to the point of wetting his pants.

Terrified that Violet would blast them to pieces if they mistreated her too terribly anymore, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia decided to attempt to make amends and allowed Violet to move out of the cupboard under the stairs and into Dudley's second bedroom. Pleased with all the new space, Violet proceeded to arrange the room more to her liking, which of course involved getting rid of all of Dudley's old stuff, which Violet happily chucked out of the window. Uncle Vernon really wasn't happy to find Dudley's broken air rifle, broken television set, empty bird cage, and various other things Violet didn't want that didn't belong to her scattered out on the front lawn. Violet, however, managed to avoid punishment by locking herself in the room, so that Uncle Vernon had to yell at her through the door, and after _almost_ an hour and a half of attempting to get inside the room, he gave up and yelled at Aunt Petunia to fetch him a glass of brandy.

After Violet had redone her new room, she proceeded to look through all of her new spellbooks. She chose to name her snowy owl Hedwig, and was happy to reward Hedwig with any treat she could steal from the kitchen when Hedwig flew out at night and left some owl droppings on the hood of Uncle Vernon's company car.

Violet eagerly read her school books from cover to cover, drinking in as much information about the magical world as she could, trying to learn everything possible before starting school. Also, too eager to wait until term started to start performing real magic, Violet began experimenting on her own with some simple spells out of _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ by Miranda Goshawk, _A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch, and _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quentin Trimble.

The easiest spell seemed to be the Lumos Charm. Violet happily lit and extinguished, then lit again the tip of her wand, muttering nonstop, "_Lumos, Nox, Lumos, Nox, Lumos, Nox-_" until Hedwig began hooting loudly in annoyance. Violet merely winked at the owl, and realized she would never have to find batteries for a flashlight again.

Her other books were just as interesting as the spellbooks. She poured eagerly over _A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot, fascinated by the wizarding history, and she tried to remember everything she possibly could from _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore and _Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger. And after skimming through _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander, and perusing _Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling, she read all of her new books over again.

* * *

About a week before Violet was supposed to start term, she began worrying about how she was supposed to get to Hogwarts. Her train ticket for the Hogwarts Express told her to leave from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock, and although she had never been to King's Cross Station before, she thought that this was a little odd for a platform number. She also had no idea how she was supposed to get to London. She sighed, and supposed she could use her wand to threaten the Dursleys again...

So Violet went downstairs and entered the living room where her aunt, uncle, and cousin were sitting watching television. She cleared her throat to announce her presence, and Dudley leapt up and ran screaming from the room.

"Oi, Uncle Vernon," Violet said coolly.

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

"Listen, I need to be at King's Cross on September 1st to get to Hogwarts. I need to be on the train by eleven."

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Is it possible that you would give me a lift? Please, Uncle Vernon?" Violet asked, her tone turning suddenly sweet.

Uncle Vernon didn't answer. Violet drew her wand and tapped it apparently absentmindedly against the side of her leg. She saw her uncle's head turn slightly, and knew that although he wasn't looking directly at her, he knew she had drawn her wand. A little more time passed, then Uncle Vernon turned his head back to the television and grunted a third time. Violet took this as a 'yes', and thanked him.

He finally spoke as Violet turned to head back upstairs.

"It's surprising that wizards would ride a train to school. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

Violet shrugged and replied, "Dunno. I haven't got a magic carpet."

"You bloody well better not. Where is this school, anyway?"

"I don't know. I've never been there."

Uncle Vernon turned to face her fully this time, and his eyes were narrowed. "You better talk nice to me, girly, or you won't be getting a ride anywhere!"

Violet apologized at once. However, she still hadn't pocketed her wand, and as she headed back up the stairs, she was pleased to see her uncle glancing wearily at it.

She bounced into her room, a new spring in her step, and hummed as she packed her school trunk.

* * *

The morning of September the 1st, Violet awoke bright and early, eager to head off to magic school. She dressed not in her overlarge hand-me-downs, but in her new uniform black school robes, and fastened the silver fastening of her new black cloak at her throat. She slipped her wand into her robes pocket and shoved the trunk full of all her new school things down the stairs and stood waiting with it at the front door, Hedwig inside her cage sitting on top.

When Uncle Vernon finally entered the living room, wearing his coat and clutching his car keys, he took one look at his niece and barked that she "ruddy well wasn't going out in public dressed like some batty freak". He was immediately silenced when Violet drew her wand and used the Lumos Charm. Of course, the wand tip igniting did nothing to hurt Uncle Vernon, but it scared him all the same. He dragged Violet's trunk out and loaded it into the trunk of the car without another word. Violet buckled Hedwig's cage into the backseat, then sat in the front herself. Uncle Vernon started the engine and they were off to London.

Once arriving at King's Cross, Uncle Vernon loaded Violet's school trunk and Hedwig's cage onto a trolley, bid Violet farewell, and left her there just inside the station. Violet happily pushed the trolley toward platforms nine and ten, and her spirits dropped. How on earth was she supposed to get onto platform nine and three-quarters? She couldn't see it anywhere!

She suddenly became very conscious of the fact that Muggles all around her were staring at her, dressed oddly as she was. She couldn't blame them; nobody else was wearing a cloak...

Then it came to her: surely someone like her, who was heading to Hogwarts, would be dressed just as strangely as herself? She stood on her toes and craned her neck, trying to look for another cloaked witch or wizard, but saw no one out of the ordinary. Desperate, and a little bit panicky now, she wheeled her trunk around and pushed it over to the area between platforms nine and ten. Platform nine and three-quarters had to be somewhere in between...

Remembering how Hagrid had opened the entrance into Diagon Alley, inspiration struck Violet, and, grinning, she drew her wand and approached the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Tentatively, she tapped the metal barrier with the tip of her wand... _and the wand went right through_!

Excited, Violet pressed her whole hand against the barrier, and waved it through as if the metal wasn't even there! She placed her wand back inside her robes, went and grabbed the trolley with her trunk and owl on it, rolled it around to face the barrier between platforms nine and ten, took a deep breath, and started running full blast at it...

...And when Violet almost reached the barrier, her grin faded, and her sense caught up with her; this was so stupid! She had to have imagined the barrier not being solid. What was she doing? She was going to slam right into it and probably end up getting hurt! But, unfortunately, she was going too fast to stop before she reached the barrier. She began to slow down, but she was going to hit the metal head on anyway. She closed her eyes and grimaced, preparing for impact...

...But there was no impact! She sailed right through the barrier and kept going until she came to a stop. Panting slightly, Violet opened her eyes.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Violet looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters_ on it. She began to grin from ear to ear. She had done it! And all on her own!

Still panting slightly from her excitement and her run through the barrier, Violet leaned against her trunk and stared at the wrought-iron archway. After just a little while, more people started coming through, and Violet noted that they were not wearing wizards' robes. She realized suddenly that she was probably supposed to enter the platform incognito, dressed as a Muggle, instead of advertising herself in her witch's robes. She wished this had occurred to her before she left Privet Drive; she hadn't brought any Muggle clothing with her except pajamas. Oh, well. Too late to turn back now.

She watched this new family that had come through the barrier with mild interest. There were six of them, a short, plump woman, with four red-headed boys, two of them identical twins, and a very small red-headed daughter that was obviously the youngest of the five children of varying heights.

The boys Violet had never seen before, but the woman and her daughter looked familiar… It took Violet a moment to realize that she and Hagrid had passed them in Diagon Alley; the little girl had been screaming about wanting a cauldron, and wanting to go to Hogwarts….

The mother was wiping the youngest boy's nose, and he was protesting. The twins were laughing at him as the eldest red-haired boy left with his trunk and owl. He wasn't gone too long when he returned in his new Hogwarts robes, a badge shining on his chest. His twin brothers were now teasing him. Violet caught a few words; apparently the eldest boy, named Percy, was a prefect.

Suddenly one of the twins looked over at Violet. He nudged his identical brother, and now both red haired twins were looking at her. Violet felt her face go red and turned away. She began looking for an empty compartment in the train. She found one near the end, but discovered that she could barely lift even one end of her trunk, let alone get the whole thing up into the luggage rack.

She leaned against the trunk, panting slightly, then jumped when a voice behind her said, "Want a hand?" She turned to see who it was. The twins had apparently followed her.

"Er- sure, thanks," Violet replied, and the twins helped her load her luggage into the compartment. When her trunk was at last tucked away, the twins stayed for a moment, panting from the effort of moving Violet's trunk. Violet, who ended up putting forth no effort herself, leaned against the door to the compartment and smiled at them, flipping her hair a little bit.

"I really appreciate you helping me," she said. "My name's Violet, who're you?"

"I'm Fred Weasley," said Fred Weasley, "and this is my brother-"

"George," George finished for his twin, and he and his brother shook Violet's hands. "What's your surname?" George asked.

Violet hesitated. "Potter."

The twins gaped at her.

"Are you really?" said Fred.

Violet half smiled, and brushed her bangs back to reveal the lightning scar. The twins stared. She went a little pink again and let her hair fall. She wished they would stop gawking now.

She was rescued from the awkward moment when the Weasley twins' mother called for them. They turned to jump out of the compartment, turned back to look at Violet again, and then headed off as their mother called again.

"It was nice meeting you!" Violet called after them, then closed the compartment door and watched the family out the window for a moment before turning her attention to Hedwig, whose cage sat on the seat next to Violet. Violet stuck her fingers through the bars of the cage and allowed Hedwig to nip playfully at her.

So involved with her new pet, Violet didn't even notice the train begin motion.

Suddenly the door to the compartment slid open. The twins' younger brother peered in.

"Mind if I sit in here?" he asked, his face going slightly pink. "Everywhere else is full..."

"Sure," Violet said, and removed her feet from the seat opposite her.

"Thanks," said the Weasley boy, and he sat down nervously, avoiding Violet's eyes. Violet peered at him. He was tall and gangly, and he had a black spot on his nose. He also had a lot of freckles, and, as Violet noticed most prominently, light blue eyes.

"Hey, Ron."

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train- Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Violet," said Fred, "did ickle Ronniekins introduce himself?"

"I bet he didn't," said George, "hasn't got the nerve to talk to any girl, let alone Violet Potter."

"Yeah," said Fred, "probably not... well, this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."

"Bye," said Violet and Ron, and the twins left the compartment.

Violet returned her attention to Ron. His ears were very pink now; his brothers had clearly embarrassed him. Violet smiled.

"Are all of your family magical?" she asked. Ron looked up, somewhat nervously.

"Er...er- yes- yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him." Ron was facing Violet, and looking in her general direction, but still avoided her eyes.

Violet raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you make eye contact with me? Are you afraid? ...Ron?"

Ron raised his own eyebrows and blue eyes met green for the first time. He turned slightly pink again and looked away, then hesitated, and looked back. Violet smiled encouragingly.

"So- so you're really... you're really Violet Potter?" Ron asked eagerly.

Violet nodded.

Ron stared. A complete turn around from a moment ago, Violet thought.

"Oh- well, I thought it might be one of Fred and Georges jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got- you know..."

He hesitated, then pointed at Violet's forehead.

Violet cocked her head, then pulled back her bangs to reveal the lightning scar.

Ron's eyes widened a bit. "So that's where You-Know-Who-?"

Violet let her bangs fall again and stared at Ron. Whoever You-Know-Who was, she didn't know. She thought for a moment, and then remembered Ollivander back in Diagon Alley:

_"It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother- why, its brother gave you that scar. _

_Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember...I think we must expect great things from you, Miss Potter...After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things-- terrible, yes, but great."_

Violet wondered why she hadn't asked Hagrid who You-Know-Who was…it seemed like he had mentioned him…. Then she remembered that she probably would have, if it hadn't been for the distraction that Ron's little sister had caused. Right after Mrs. Weasley had gone by chasing after her daughter, Violet and Hagrid had arrived at the Owl Emporium….

Ron seemed to misinterpret Violet's thoughtfulness for offense, and apologized, looking very awkward as he did so. Violet shook her head and said, "It's alright. It's just- who _is_ You-Know-Who?"

Ron gasped. "You- _you_, of all people- have never heard of- of _You-Know-Who_?"

Violet shrugged. "Well, I've sort of heard of him..." And she told him about her encounter with Ollivander.

Ron was wide-eyed. "I can't believe you don't even know about You-Know-Who! After- after he-" Ron stopped talking suddenly, and looked down at the floor of the train. Violet cocked her head at him and raised her eyebrow again.

"After he what?" she inquired.

"Well- well- they say he- you're _famous_- you- _he couldn't kill you_!" Ron blurted.

Violet stared. Then she said quietly, "So...that's it, is it?"

Ron was looking really awkward now. He shivered and wouldn't look at her or say anything to her for quite a while. During this time of silence, Violet was deep in thought once more...

_If You-Know-Who, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or whatever, tried to kill me...that must be what the scar is from, from when he tried to take my life!_ She shuddered._ And...he must have killed...my parents..._ Violet's entire body went numb, as if there was ice pressed up against every inch of her. _Oh...oh, I wish I had asked Hagrid about all of this- that's it! I can talk to Hagrid about it when I get to Hogwarts!_

After thinking about different things, Violet decided she wanted to strike up a conversation with Ron again.

"It must be pretty cool, having three wizard brothers," said Violet, enviously. "All I've got is a fat, lazy Muggle cousin named Dudley. He's a real pig." Ron finally looked at her again, and his mouth twitched in nervous amusement.

"Having a Muggle isn't so bad," he said. "There's nothing to live up to there."

"What do you mean?" Violet asked.

"Well, to start, I've got five wizard brothers, not three." Suddenly he looked sort of gloomy.

"So you're family has a reputation that you need to uphold?"

"Well, yeah, sort of… I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts, after all. Bill and Charlie have left already- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do just as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

At this point Ron produced a fat, grey rat from inside his jacket. It looked very pathetic, just lying there in his hand, fast asleep. Violet began to giggle.

Ears pink again, clearly embarrassed once more, Ron abruptly quit speaking and turned to stare out the window. Violet's mouth twitched.

"You don't like talking much, do you?" she teased.

Ron looked at her again in surprise. "Well- I, um...well..." he stammered.

"I'm sorry I laughed," Violet said seriously. "But," she smiled, "he is quite pathetic looking, isn't he? What's his name?"

"Scabbers," Ron muttered.

He was spared having to say anything more when a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Ron muttered something about sandwiches, but Violet, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to her feet and swept out into the corridor.

A few moments later Ron stared as Violet came back in with her arms full of Pumpkin Pasties, Licorice Wands, Acid Pops, Ice Mice, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs, and a number of other interesting wizarding candies.

"Hungry, are you?" asked Ron.

"Starving," replied Violet, her mouth already full of Cauldron Cake.

Ron was staring forlornly at his sandwiches. "She always forgets that I don't like corned beef."

Violet tossed him a Pumpkin Pasty and a Licorice Wand. "Go on," she said cheerfully, tearing open a package of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and stuffing all of the gum into her mouth at once.

Soon the sandwiches lay forgotten as Violet and Ron had a great time eating through all of Violet's pasties, cakes, and candies.

"What are these?" Violet asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not _really_ frogs, are they?" She sincerely hoped they weren't.

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?"

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know- Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

Violet unwrapped the Chocolate Frog, examined it for a second, and then stuck it into her mouth and chewed carefully. After swallowing she suddenly felt thirsty and wished that the food trolley had served some sort of wizarding beverage to go with all of the wizarding food. She then tentatively picked up the card to examine it. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore. The name was familiar to her, and then she remembered her Hogwarts letter: Albus Dumbledore was the headmaster!

"So _this_ is Dumbledore!" said Violet.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa- thanks-"

Violet turned over her card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts

Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Violet turned the card back over and saw that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. She blinked. After a moment Dumbledore just sidled back onto the card and winked. Violet stared for a moment, then grinned and winked back.

Violet and Ron continued on with the Chocolate Frogs, stuffing their faces and looking at the cards. Ron would just glance at the card to see if it was Agrippa or Ptolemy, ("No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her..."), and chuck the card at Violet so that she could start her own collection. Soon she had Dumbledore, Merlin, Morgana, Cliodna, Hengist of Woodcroft, Circe, Paracelsus, Alberic Grunnion, and Bertie Bott.

After a little while longer, Violet tore open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. She glanced at her Bertie Bott Chocolate Frog card again. "So this is the bloke that invented the beans," she said as she nibbled on the end of a Licorice Wand.

Ron nodded. "You want to be careful with those," he warned her. "When they say every flavor, they _mean_ every flavor-"

But Violet had already picked up a suspiciously bluish bean and eaten it. "Mmm, blueberry!"

Ron sighed and picked up a green bean, examined it, then nibbled off the end. "Bleaaargh- sprouts!"

They had a nice time eating the beans. Violet got toast, coconut, watermelon, strawberry, baked bean, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, dirt, pepper, and earwax. She found that dirt really didn't taste that bad.

After another while passed there was a knock on the door and a round-faced boy came in. Tearfully, he asked, "Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?"

They shook their heads and he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"Hm. Too bad," said Violet indifferently, devouring another Licorice Wand.

The boy looked at her for a while. She looked back at him after she'd finished her Licorice Wand. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it and merely raised her eyebrows. The round-set boy looked on the verge of speech, but then a touch of colour leaked into his round cheeks and he hurried away.

Ron stood up and closed the compartment door. Scabbers the rat fell from his lap when he rose from his seat, but didn't wake up. Ron glanced down at him and said in disgust, "He might've died and you wouldn't know the difference. I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. Watch..."

He rummaged around in his trunk for a while and finally produced an old, chipped wand with something white glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out," he said. "Anyway-"

The compartment door slid open again. A girl stood there, dressed already in her new Hogwarts robes, the toadless, round-faced boy that they had just seen standing next to her.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," the girl said bossily. She had lots of bushy brown hair, brown eyes, and rather large front teeth.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron.

"Seriously," Violet agreed, "we haven't seen the dang toad. Now leave us in peace." She bit into another Cauldron Cake.

But the buck-toothed, bushy-haired girl wasn't paying any attention to her. She had spotted the wand in Ron's hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then."

And she sat down next to Violet, who raised her eyebrows and glared at the girl.

Ron stared at her for a second, then cleared his throat.

"Er- alright, then...

_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,_

_Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!_"

He waved his wand dramatically. Nothing happened. Scabbers, still asleep, never knew anything had even happened.

The bossy girl that had invaded their compartment raised her eyebrows now, and said, very fast, "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells for practice, and it's all worked for me-"

"Really!" interrupted Violet, liking the girl for the first time. "Me too! I really like that Lumos Charm-"

"Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course," the girl continued, as if Violet hadn't spoken. Violet immediately began to go back on her first positive feeling toward this bushy-haired, bossy girl.

"It's the best school of witchcraft in the world," the girl went on, "and I've learned all our course books by heart, of course- I just hope it's enough- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way. Who are you?"

Violet, eyebrows raised once again, glanced at Ron, who looked somewhat astonished. She actually felt good when she realized, from Ron's expression, that he certainly hadn't learned the course books by heart. Violet hadn't by heart, exactly, but she had tried to remember everything that she could. Feeling suddenly fond of the girl again, she turned to her and said, "He's Ron Weasley, and I'm Violet Potter!" and shook Hermione's hand.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical Theory_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

"Am I, really?" Violet exclaimed, excitedly. "Mind if I borrow those books sometime? I'd like very much to read about myself!"

"Certainly," replied Hermione. "But I'm surprised you didn't know already. I'd have tried to find out everything I could if it was me. Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it! But I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad...Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad." She looked at Ron. "You might want to change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And Hermione and Neville left.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.

"Really? I rather liked her, that Hermione girl. What house are you brothers in?" inquired Violet.

"Gryffindor," said Ron.

"Oh, dear," said Violet. "That's the house Hermione said she wants to be in." She grinned.

Ron groaned. "You're right, I hope we're not stuck with her...you actually _liked_ her?"

Violet shrugged. "She was raised by Muggles, I was raised by Muggles. She didn't know she was a witch until she got her Hogwarts letter, and neither did I. And apparently she likes reading, like me. So I'd say Hermione and I have a lot in common."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Violet smiled. "I hope we're all in Gryffindor."

Ron sat down again. "Yeah, I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be that bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

Violet tilted her head. "Not too fond of Slytherin?"

Ron shook his head. "That's the house You-Know-Who was in!"

Violet, taken aback, gasped, "He went to Hogwarts?"

"Of course he did, everyone in Britain goes to Hogwarts!" Ron shook his head at Violet in disbelief.

"So...Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin..." Violet was counting off Hogwarts houses, trying to remember them all. "What other houses are there?"

"Just Hufflepuff."

"Ah. So there are only four?"

"Of course! How many did you think there were, fifty?"

Violet narrowed her eyes, then shrugged. "How do I know, I've never heard of any Hogwarts houses before today, have I?"

She began digging through her candy again. She sighed; she was running low on Chocolate Frogs.

"What do your eldest brothers, Bill and Charlie, do now that they've left Hogwarts?" Violet asked, her mouth full of Chocolate Frog and Pumpkin Pasty at the same time.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts."

"Cool," said Violet. "What does Charlie do with the dragons?" She was eager for yet more information about the magical world.

"I dunno, studies them, takes care of them, I really don't, I've never been to Romania," said Ron.

"What does Bill do for Gringotts?"

"He's a curse-breaker," said Ron. "Hey, did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the _Daily Prophet_, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles- someone tried to rob a high-security vault."

Violet stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Violet furrowed her brow slightly. "What's You-Know-Who's name?"

"I don't want to say it!" cried Ron, aghast.

Violet shrugged and continued eating.

"What's your Quidditch team?" asked Ron.

"I don't know any," said Violet. "I've never seen a game of Quidditch."

"What! Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world-" and Ron was off, explaining the seven players, the four balls, the goal hoops, describing famous games he'd been to with his family, and the different kinds of broomsticks. Violet sat attentively, taking less bites out of her food, drinking this all in. Ron was just telling her about all the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open again.

Three boys entered, two very large, stupid looking ones, and, in between them, the pale, blonde by, Draco, whom Violet had met at Gringotts.

"Hello, Draco," Violet said cheerfully. She gave him a small smile.

Draco was looking at Violet with, if possible, even more interest than he had in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Violet Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"That's right," said Violet, and her smile faded as her eyes lingered on the larger boys that had accompanied Draco into the compartment. They were both very thickset and looked extremely mean. Violet was suddenly reminded of Dudley.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said Draco, seeing where Violet was looking. "They're my…friends."

"Hmm. They look more like body guards," Violet said conversationally,

Ron gave a cough that Violet knew contained a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my friends are funny, do you?" Draco snapped, looking Ron up and down. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles.

"No need to ask who you are… Red hair, freckles…you must be a Weasley."

He turned back to Violet and lifted his pointed chin haughtily. Violet hid a smirk. He seemed to be trying to impress her.

"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Violet- er- Potter- er-" He seemed to not know what to call her.

Violet raised her eyebrow again. "You may address me as Violet, thanks."

"Very well, Violet, then. Well, Violet, you don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand. Violet merely looked at it. He moved his arm slightly, to indicate that he was waiting for Violet to shake his hand, but still she did not grab it.

"Please shake my hand," Draco said, sounding slightly annoyed and impatient now.

Violet blinked.

Irritated, Draco lowered his hand. "Fine," he said, "have it your way." He turned to leave.

"Wait," said Violet. Draco turned back eagerly to face her.

"Yes?" he said. He couldn't hide the excitement in his tone.

"I think I can find out who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," said Violet coolly.

A pink tinge immediately crept onto Draco Malfoy's cheeks, and his face fell slightly.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Violet," he said slowly and deliberately. "Unless you're a bit politer, you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. And if you hang around with riffraff like him-" he nodded at Ron.

Violet and Ron stood up.

"Say that again," said Ron.

"How dare you speak about my parents!" cried Violet, tossing her hair. She blinked. "And what makes you think you're so polite!" she snapped, then as an afterthought, "and what's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's name, by the way?"

Malfoy stared at her for a second, his gray eyes wide, and he gaped. Then he pulled himself together. "I'm not saying the Dark Lord's name, how can you not know? You're Violet Potter!" He turned to Ron and, composure regained, said coolly, in a completely different tone then when he was just speaking to Violet, "What are you going to do, fight us?"

Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles and grinned stupidly. Violet drew her wand and let off some sparks as Goyle reached for a Chocolate Frog. He let out a yell and held up his hand; Scabbers the rat was dangling from his finger. Crabbe and Malfoy backed away, and Goyle howled and swung Scabbers round and round until he let go and hit the window. All three of them disappeared at once. A second later Hermione Granger walked in.

"What_ has_ been going on?" she asked.

Ron picked up Scabbers by the tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," he told Violet. Then he looked at the rat more closely. "No- I don't believe it- he's gone back to sleep."

And so he had.

"You've met that Draco guy before?"

Violet told Ron and Hermione about how she met Draco Malfoy at Gringotts.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Do you mind leaving while I change?" He glanced at Violet. "Er- both of you?"

"All right- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione pompously. She sniffed. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?" She glanced at Violet, who shrugged at Ron, and then followed Hermione out of the compartment.

The train seemed to be slowing down.

"I see what you meant about people behaving childishly," Violet remarked, stepping aside a girl with long, black, plaited hair ran past her screaming, "Give it back, Padma, ooh, give it back!"

"Yes," said Hermione haughtily. "They are very childish, aren't they?"

"Incredibly juvenile," Violet concurred, and followed Hermione down the corridor.

"Would you like to borrow those books now?" asked Hermione.

"Sure," Violet replied. "By the way, surely you've read it in one of your books...what's You-Know-Who's name?"

Hermione froze, half-way done opening the door to another compartment. "You don't know?"

"Nope."

Hermione sighed. "Very well. I hate to say it, I really do, but...you have a right to know, haven't you?" She took a deep, steadying breath. "His name is- V-Vol-" She stopped, breathed again. "V-Voldemort. Now, please don't make me say it again."

"All right," said Violet. "Hmm. Voldemort. Thanks, Hermione!"

Hermione shuddered as Violet repeated the name. "You're- you're welcome."

She led Violet into her compartment and began digging into her own school trunk.

"All right...I'll lend you _Modern Magical Theory, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_... and, let's see... would you like to borrow _Hogwarts, A History_ as well?"

"Certainly!" said Violet, thirsty for more knowledge. "Thank you very much!"

As Hermione loaded the books into Violet's arms, a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Violet bid Hermione farewell, hurried back to Ron's compartment, and hastily shoved Hermione's books into her own school trunk. She glanced at Ron. He was wearing his Hogwarts robes now. They were a little short for him; his sneakers were visible. He looked very, very pale. Violet bid Hedwig goodbye, and she and Ron headed out into the corridor and joined the throng, the rest of their sweets stuffed into the pockets of their robes.

The train slowed and finally stopped. Violet and Ron moved with the crowd and eventually got off. Violet stood on her toes for a second, looking for Hermione. She shivered in the cold night air and pulled her cloak more tightly around herself. Her stomach lurched, then filled with excitement as she heard a familiar voice calling over the wind: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Violet?"

A lamp came bobbing into view over the heads of the students, and Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over at Violet. Violet beamed back.

"C'mon, follow me- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, forty some Hogwarts robed first years stumbled after Hagrid. Violet grinned in the darkness, and glanced eagerly around at the thick trees on either side of them. They went up a steep, narrow path as Neville, the toadless boy, began to sniff a couple of times.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," called Hagrid, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The path had ended. They were standing at the edge of a great black lake, and perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its many windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called. He pointed to a little fleet of boats sitting in the water. Violet and Ron got into a boat with Neville and Hermione.

"There you are! I was looking for you," Violet said to Hermione. Hermione smiled.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid. "Right then- FORWARD!"

And the fleet of boats began moving across the black water of the lake. The water was as smooth as glass. Violet pulled up her sleeve, leaned over the side of her boat, and stuck her hand in. She withdrew it immediately; the lake water was very cold.

She leaned back then and stared with everyone else at the castle they were sailing toward. They were almost to the cliff on which it stood now.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid. Violet, Ron, Hermione, and Neville ducked, along with all of their fellow first years. The boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They sailed down a dark tunnel that ended at a sort of underground harbor where they all scrambled out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there? Is this your toad?" asked Hagrid.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, and he ran toward Hagrid with outstretched hands.

They followed Hagrid up a passageway in the rock and came out on smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front doors.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	6. The Sorting Hat

**Chapter Six – The Sorting Hat**

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. Violet liked this woman immediately; she looked truly how Violet felt a witch should.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

The first year students followed Professor McGonagall into an enormous entrance hall. Violet gasped and threw her head back to try to see the ceiling, but to no avail; the ceiling was just too high. Violet smiled. This castle was so cool, and she could already tell just from standing there inside the front doors. She couldn't wait to explore; she was itching to see every inch of this enormous place!

"Hey, Violet!" Ron whispered. Violet shook her head and turned to Ron, who was beckoning to her. She was alarmed to see that the rest of her classmates had kept moving; Professor McGonagall hadn't stopped in the entrance hall. Violet bit her lip and hurried after Ron into a side chamber off the hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

Violet felt suddenly nervous. What if she wasn't in the same house as Hermione and Ron? Would she still get to see them at all?

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," Professor McGonagall went on. "Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

Violet's nervousness doubled. Triumphs? What did she mean by 'triumphs'? Violet wasn't sure how she felt about the sound of that; it sounded as if they would be dueling each other or something. She suddenly had a vision of different houses having epic battles between themselves. Violet sincerely hoped that her theory was wrong. To comfort herself, she pulled out her last Licorice Wand from inside her robes and began to chew.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting," Professor McGonagall concluded. Her eyes met Violet's, then lowered to the Licorice Wand in Violet's hand. Her mouth thinned slightly, but she didn't say anything except, "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

And she left. Violet's chewing became more frantic.

Hermione stepped over toward Violet, eyed the Licorice Wand that Violet was fast devouring (there already really wasn't much left of it now), and said sniffily, "You really shouldn't be eating before the Sorting Ceremony, you know."

Violet didn't say anything, but made a noise in her throat.

Hermione sighed. "Oh, well. Anyway, I wonder what sort of test we're going to undergo during the Sorting Ceremony? I hope we don't have to duel anybody; I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet..." and she was off, whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.

Licorice Wand gone, Violet looked up at the ceiling, barely listening to Hermione, and absently sticking her hands in her robes pockets. She still had a Chocolate Frog in her left pocket. She fingered it carefully. Would she have time to eat it before McGonagall returned?

Suddenly about twenty ghosts streamed from the back wall. Violet forgot about her Chocolate Frog immediately. Several people screamed.

The ghosts appeared to be arguing until a ghost wearing a ruff and tights noticed the first years.

"I say, what are you all doing here?" he asked.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said a ghost that looked like a fat little monk. He smiled around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely. Violet said in a carrying voice, "That's right!"

"Oh, I hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Fat Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said the sharp voice of Professor McGonagall. She had returned. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

The ghosts floated away in single file through the opposite wall.

Professor McGonagall instructed the first years to form a line. They did so, and she led them back out into the entrance hall and through the great double doors of the Great Hall.

Violet couldn't believe her eyes. There were thousands of candles floating above four long tables where the rest of the school was seated. A fifth table on a raised plaform was where the teachers sat on the other end of the Hall. Violet glanced up at the ceiling- she could see up into the night sky! There apparently _was_ no ceiling! Interesting...but what if it rained?

As if reading her mind, Hermione whispered, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_."

Violet continued to gaze up at the starry ceiling of the Great Hall, and wasn't paying attention to where she was walking, so she ran right into Ron, who was knocked off balance, and tripped forward into the sandy-haired boy in front of him. Violet immediately lowered her gaze and watched in horror as first years in front of her and Ron were knocked forward in a kind of domino effect. Violet hunched her shoulders slightly, trying to be insignificant for the moment. She sighed in relief when she saw that nobody actually fell down.

After everyone in the front of the line had steadied themselves, the line continued forward and the first years ended up standing in front of the staff table facing the rest of the school. Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the first years, and placed on top of it a shabby pointed wizard's hat. It was patched and frayed and very dirty. Violet thought it was very cool.

Violet stared at the hat, then glanced around at everyone to make sure she was supposed to be staring at the hat. They all were, so she returned her gaze to the shabby thing as it twitched and a rip opened near the brim, like a mouth, and the hat burst into song:

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black, _

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head _

_The Sorting Hat can't see, _

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song and bowed to each of the four long tables before going quite still again. Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long roll of parchment in her hands.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

And so the ceremony had begun. Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones were sorted into Hufflepuff, then Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst went to Ravenclaw. Lavender Brown became a Gryffindor, Millicent Bulstrode and Vincent Crabbe became Slytherins, Justin Finch-Fletchley became a Hufflepuff, and Seamus Finnigan became a Gryffindor. Violet tried to remember every first year's name, which would be difficult, what with there being about forty of them, but she had a good memory.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned. Violet smiled weakly.

Violet continued to watch with rapt attention, sneering when Gregory Goyle became a Slytherin, and sniggering when Neville Longbottom, after being sorted into Gryffindor, ran off toward the Gryffindor table still wearing the Sorting Hat, and had to run back through gales of laughter to give it to Morag MacDougal.

Draco Malfoy swaggered forward and the hat had barely touched his head when it bellowed, "SLYTHERIN!" As Draco strutted over to the cheering Slytherin table, he glanced over his shoulder, caught Violet's eye, and smirked haughtily.

There weren't many people left now.

Violet thought that Theodore Nott was somewhat attractive, but then the hat put him in Slytherin, and she immediately decided he was off-limits. Then Pansy Parkinson became a Slytherin, Padma Patil became a Ravenclaw, and her twin sister, Parvati Patil, became a Gryffindor. Then Sally-Anne Perks was sorted...and then--

"Potter, Violet!"

Little whispers broke out as Violet stepped forward, grabbed the Sorting Hat, and put it on her head as she sat down on the little stool.

She sat for a little while, staring at the inside of the hat, then a little voice said, "Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting...So where shall I put you?"

_Well, if you don't mind, I'd rather not be in Slytherin_, thought Violet.

"Not Slytherin, eh?"

_That's right. Not Slytherin._

"Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that- no? Well, if you're sure- better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Grinning, Violet removed the Sorting Hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to the cheering Gryffindor table to join Hermione. The Weasley twins were chanting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" and Percy the Prefect got up and shook Violet's hand. The Gryffindor ghost in his ruff and tights, who sat opposite Violet, smiled at her and patted her arm, which immediately felt like she had just plunged it into the lake again.

Violet gazed back at the High Table, where the teachers sat. She recognized Albus Dumbledore, with his long silver hair, beard, and mustache, crooked nose, and half-moon glasses. She also saw a man wearing a ridiculous turban, and he was sitting next to a man with shoulder-length, black, greasy hair, which framed a thin, sallow face, and a long hooked nose. For some reason, Violet's heart gave a quick jolt when she saw this man.

There were only four people left to be sorted. Dean Thomas became a Gryffindor, Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw, and then...

"Weasley, Ronald!"

Ron stepped forward, and the hat had barely touched his red hair when it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Violet clapped loudly and let out a cheer as Ron collapsed into the seat next to her.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy, leaning across Hermione and Violet as Blaise Zabini became a Slytherin. As Zabini took his seat at the Slytherin table, Professor McGonagall rolled up her parchment and picked up the stool and the Sorting Hat and carried them out of the hall.

Violet glanced down at the golden plate in front of her. It was empty. She stared at it a moment longer, feeling hungry, then pulled a Cauldron Cake out of her pocket and placed it in the center of the plate. Hermione nudged her and nodded up at the High Table.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet, arms opened wide. Beaming, he said, "Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Violet cheered with the rest of the school, then leaned around Hermione to ask Percy if Dumbledore was a bit mad.

"Mad?" Percy replied. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes..."

Violet glanced back at her plate and ate the Cauldron cake, then noticed Ron and Hermione piling real food onto their plates on either side of her. She looked up and saw the dishes piled with all sorts of different foods, and Violet immediately loaded her plate with Yorkshire pudding, bacon, roast chicken, fries, gravy, and pepperment humbugs.

It was the best dinner Violet had ever had. She enjoyed eating (of course) and talking to Ron, Hermione, Percy, and the ghost sitting across from her, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, or, as the residents of Gryffindor Tower called him, Nearly Headless Nick.

Violet was quite entertained when Seamus Finnigan blurted out, "_Nearly_ Headless? How can you be _nearly_ headless?" and Nick replied irritably, "Like _this_," and pulled his left ear, allowing his head to swing off his neck and fall onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. He looked very pleased at their shocked expressions.

Violet, wanting to know everything she could, had Nearly Headless Nick point out the other ghosts in the hall and tell her who they were.

"Let's see...that's the Fat Friar, the Hufflepuff ghost, the Gray Lady, resident ghost of Ravenclaw Tower, and the Bloody Baron, Slytherin ghost..." Nick told her, his head wobbling slightly.

After that, talked turned to their families. Violet listened for a little while as Ron, Seamus, and Neville talked about their homes and their parents, and (in Neville's case) grandparents, then turned and joined Percy and Hermione's conversation about lessons. Violet and Hermione listened raptly to Percy as he told them a bit about how their first Transfiguration lessons would go.

Eventually Violet's gaze returned to the Hight Table where the teachers were. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. The teacher wearing the turban was talking to the hook-nosed teacher Violet had noticed earlier. She watched him for a moment or so, and then he looked past the other man's turban and straight into Violet's eyes. A pain shot suddenly across the scar on Violet's forehead, and she gasped. The hook-nosed teacher looked away, but Violet continued to watch him.

Hermione had turned around when Violet gasped. "What's wrong?" she inquired.

"N-nothing...hey, Percy, who's that bloke in the turban?"

"That's Professor Quirrell," Percy replied. "He's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Who's he talking to?"

"Ah, no wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to- everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Violet watched Snape for the rest of the meal, transfixed by him, although she didn't quite know why. He didn't look at her again, but she supposed that was for the best; she didn't want him to catch her staring at him. She ate her dessert so absentmindedly that it took her a moment to noticed when all the food had disappeared.

Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. Violet tore her eyes away from Professor Snape to look at him instead.

"Ahem," said Professor Dumbledore, "just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Violet noticed his gaze flash at the Weasley twins for a second.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

A few people laughed. Violet was not one of them. She leaned around Hermione and, alarmed, asked Percy, "Is he serious? What does he mean, 'die a very painful death'?"

Percy was frowning. "I don't know. He must be serious, but it's odd because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that."

"Really?" said Violet, suddenly forgetting about Dumbledore's warning about the third-floor corridor. "What sorts of dangerous beasts?"

"Well, werewolves and things," replied Percy. "And unicorns..."

Violet laughed. "Unicorns? Ooh, they sound vicious!"

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. He flicked his wand and conjured a long, golden ribbon, which formed into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune, and off we go!"

And Violet happily joined in with the rest of the school as they all bellowed:

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

When the song was finished, Dumbledore wiped his eyes and said, "Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Violet immediately returned her gaze to Professor Snape as she stood up. Percy told the first years to follow him, but Violet didn't move right away. Ron and Hermione had to grab her arms and move her. She took one final look at Snape, then followed Percy and the other Gryffindor first years out of the Great Hall.

Violet now put Snape in the back of her mind as she paid close attention to the route Percy was taking through the castle. Violet's head kept moving all around, trying to take in as much of the castle as she could on this walk, looking at all the moving portraits, and the suits of armor, and getting attacked by Peeves the Poltergeist was very entertaining. She was also very pleased when Percy led them all the way up to the seventh floor.

They finally stopped in front of a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung open revealing a round hole in the wall. They scrambled through it into the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls to their dormitory, and the boys to another. Violet said goodnight to Ron as he went through a door with Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, and Seamus Finnigan, then she followed Hermione, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown upstairs through another door. They found their beds at the top of a spiral staircase, and the girls gazed in wonder at the deep red, velvet curtains around their four-poster beds. Their school trunks had already been brought up, so they changed into their pajamas and crawled into bed. Hermione told Violet goodnight, but Violet had already fallen asleep.

A/N: Yup, the next chapter is up already! I'm updating very quickly now, aren't I?


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